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Discount tickets found at booths, online. Hotels offering packages, too
By Helen Anders
Cox Newspapers
Published on Sunday, Jun 28, 2009
The actress is so close to me that I could literally grab her arm. Another actor approaches behind me, startling me when he speaks.
Why am I in the middle of the action? Because my seat for the off-Broadway Barrow Street Theatre production of Our Town is onstage. Why am I there? Because my seat cost $49.50, as opposed to $69 for regular orchestra seating.
I'll do anything to get a cheap theater seat. Sit anywhere. Stand in any line. In fact, on any given morning I'm in Manhattan, you can often find me at the South Street Seaport TKTS booth.
TKTS has long been the gold standard for getting cut-rate show tickets in New York. There are two booths, one in Times Square and one in the South Seaport neighborhood, a 15-minute subway ride from midtown (see maps at http://www.tdf.org). The more remote one always has shorter lines, so it's the one I use.
There are other ways to get ticket discounts (though typically not quite as deep) that don't require standing in line.
''Why should you stand on line when you can go online?'' asks Broadway producer Ken Davenport, who has launched two Web sites that offer cut-rate tickets: http://www. broadwayspace.com for Broadway shows and http://www.bestofoffbroadway.com for off-Broadway shows.
''You pay a little more than half price, but you can save hours,'' Davenport says.
If you can see more than one show when you're in New York, consider choosing at least one off-Broadway production. A full-price Broadway ticket often runs $115 to $135; off-Broadway tickets are typically half as much. Besides, off-Broadway is its own experience.
''Off-Broadway is like the independent films of theater,'' Davenport says, noting that many off-Broadway shows wind up on Broadway later.
Another tip from Davenport that applies to both Broadway and off: Certain seats at every show are reserved for the producer and cast to give their friends. If these aren't used, they're released, typically 48 hours in advance. You'll pay full price, but it might be the only way to get a tough ticket.
If you're going to spend the money to go to New York and see theater, research the choices ahead of time.
''The last thing you want is to save $10 or $20 but not see something you want to see,'' Davenport says. You need to know what you're interested in before you go to the Web site or the TKTS booth.
So buy a New York Times — Friday's the best day for arts coverage — and check out the reviews. Or go to http://www.didhelikeit.com to get a quick snapshot of what the critic thought.
''The 'he' in 'Did he like it?' is obviously [New York Times critic] Ben Brantley,'' Davenport says. The Web site also lets you check out what other reviewers think.
This has been a rather tough year for Broadway, as it has been for all attractions.
''We're struggling,'' Davenport says, ''but, frankly, we're not struggling as much as we thought.'' He said receipts recently have been down about 6 percent.
''People this year are choosing to see two or three shows instead of four or five,'' Davenport says. That means that as a producer, he's backing only shows that he sees as ''unbelievably compelling'' to theater-goers.
That's not saying those shows are your cup of tea. That's why you need to read reviews.
After the show, try some food and stargazing at Joe Allen (326 W. 46th St.; you can usually pop by without a reservation) and, above it, Bar Central. You're likely to see folks you know. Last time we ate at Joe Allen's, we sat near Gabriel Byrne and Neil Diamond (not together). And the food's affordable and good.
Theater district hotels are typically pricey, but there are some inexpensive ones. A good small one with personality is the Da Vinci Hotel (244 W. 56th St., 212-489-4100; http://www.davincihotel.com). Rates start at $159.
If you're taking a family, here's a package: two nights for a family of four at the Buckingham Hotel (101 W. 57th St., http://www.buckingham hotel.com; 888-511-1900), four tickets to Mary Poppins and a CD of the show for $798. It's a savings of about 25 percent.
Not that you have to stay in the theater district. All of New York seems to be on sale right now, so check your favorite Web site or call a travel agent.
The actress is so close to me that I could literally grab her arm. Another actor approaches behind me, startling me when he speaks.
Get the full article here.
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